The Remembrance Ball
by Wooshers
Summary: PostDHA celebration of new found freedom from the Dark Lord. different characters
1. George Weasley

((I havent done this in awhile.))

It's been a few years, he's lost count of the years now. Of course, theres always the yearly celebration of the defeat of Lord Voldemort aka Tom Marvolo Riddle. Everyone seems so happy, cheering and hooting and smiling throughout the ball which goes on late into the night.

But he can't seem to enjoy himself. Not fully. Not like he used to. He's lost a part of him; a very large part. His twin. Fred Weasley. So he pours himself a strong drink and hopes that no one will talk to him if he hides in a darkened corner. Of course it doesn't work.It has never worked. Someone always finds him.

This year its Hermione Granger,looking quite lovely in Auror robes and glowing with her upcoming pregnancy. She smiles sadly at him.

"Hello George."

He winces and downs his drink,"Hey Hermione.Enjoy the..festivities?"

She frowns disapprovingly at his choice of drink. Theres the Hermione Granger he and Fred loved to tease. "I'd rather be at home,mind you, but I must be here."

He raises his glass in a mock toast,"Hail! The savior of the wizarding world!" His shout carries for a few feet and gifts him with a few confused stares from his fellow celebrators.

"George! Are you pissed?"

"What do you think,Granger? Fred died today."

She sighs and lays a hand on his shoulder,"I know.I haven't forgotten."

"It seems that everyones forgotten.How can they CELEBRATE when so many people died?" he growls out.

Hermione pulls him into a hug and his senses are filled with vanilla and warm sandlewood. "Its okay,George."

He mumbles incoherently into her robes and pulls away.

"S'ok. I've just had a bad day."

'_A bad few years too._' he thinks.

Hermione gives him a sad smile and is pulled away by a very drunk Ron Weasley.

While the night matures, George Weasley sits in a darkened corner of the Ministry of Magic Ballroom and thinks of his missing half.

(( cracks her knuckles Ill get back into the swing of things soon.))


	2. Hermione Granger

Hermione Granger sat by the magical blue fire, made to heat up a room but not anyones skin. She sat mesemerized by the flame and trapped in her own thoughts. No thoughts of potion ingredients,transfiguration incantations or even runes to protect the tent she was currently residing in with one Harry Potter.

Their other companion, Ron Weasley was gone. Without a word, at least not a word of comfort or reassurance that he will be safe and back soon. Gone with a word of anger.

Her vision blurred and the fire became nothing but a sea of blue in the darkness. She sighed softly and brushed the tears that had escaped her brown eyes. She sat and waited.

_What am I waiting for? _she thought _For Ron to see sense and come back? He's so irrational! _

Her mind wondered back to the numerous times when he would lash out at Harry and her, it made no sense. They loved each other so much, how can he do this to her?!

_Us._ she thought suddenly _To Harry and I. Not just me._

But it felt so much more personal. It felt like he left her to die. It felt like he didn't care enough to stay and help them search for the Horcruxes.Tears ran down her face, unchecked. She lacked the energy to brush them away.

The wind howled and rain began to pour down on the small tent.The weather seemed to want to match her mood tonight.

The flap of the tent went up.

Hermione quickly dried her eyes and looked hopefully up at the opening. In stepped a boy with wild black hair and compassionate green eyes.She tried so hard to not let the disappointment shine in her eyes. But Harry caught it anyways and gave her a sad smile.

"Sorry." he said.

She shook her head.

_He'll see reason soon enough.He'll come home._

-a few years later-

Hermione Granger let a moment of silence wash onto her, surrounded by boisterous celebrating witches and wizards, all screaming in joy for Voldemorts death. The ball was beautiful, just like it was every year. The people were rejoicing, just like it was every year. Somehow, she didn't feel the joy like she did int he past years.

She felt melancholy, as if the deaths of the people she knew, the people she befriended just hit her. A pair of lips kissed her cheek wetly and she turned to meet a pair of bright blue eyes, glazed over in happiness and a bit of drunkness.

"Hey Mione! Lets go find Harry!" Ronald Weasley yelled in her ear. She managed to only wince just a bit before being led around by her hand.

She smiled brightly at her husband. If the war left her saddened and dead inside, at least she had Ron, who seemed like a bright light in the days where she thought it was too dark to see past.

_He'll always come home._


	3. Teddy Lupin

Decked out in dark green robes, Teddy Lupin stepped into the stunning ballroom. He looked to his left then to his right, eyes searching for a body he knew. Seeing no one, he headed straight for the open bar. Luckily, no one checked ages during these parties. It was a time to celebrate! It was a time to rejoice! It was a time to get maddeningly drunk so he couldn't remember.

But it wasn't as if he really remembered his parents.

Only a flash of pink then purple then green. The smell of woods on his fathers' skin as he held him. He couldn't remember how his parents' faces looked, only through photographs that Uncle Harry kept. He couldn't recall how his mother would make silly faces at him, how she would change her face to make him giggle and grab onto her; he only had stories of those times.

Grabbing a bottle of firewhiskey, he sought out a place to sit quietly. Weaving through dancing bodies, some seeming like they were fornicating with their clothes on, he found solstice on an empty balconey.

He looked across the enchanted grounds of the Ministry.Strong transfiguration spells made it seem as if he was really looking out onto a lake and a beautiful garden.  
He sighed before taking a chug of firewhiskey which had his head reeling and his throat constricting. Hacking, he didnt hear nor take notice of the body settling next to him.

"Hey Teddy." a soft voice called.

He could recognize that voice anywhere, it was Uncle Harry, the man-who-lived.

"Wotcher." he replied and took another swig. He wondered if Harry would stop him.

Instead of questioning his choice of drink Harry smiled wryly.

"Your mother used to say that to me." he stated.

"I wouldnt know, now would I?" he snapped and immediately regretted it.

Harry just smiled again,"If your anything like your father,you would regret saying that the minute it came out of your mouth."

Teddy said nothing, only took another drink.

"They were good people,Teddy." Harry sighed out.

Teddy nodded.

Harry opened his mouth and closed it, looking as if he wanted to give the boy a hug or a pat on the shoulder,anything to comfort him. Shaking his head, he turned to go back inside.

"Don't drink all of that yourself." he said and went back to the ball.

Lifting the bottle to his lips, he muttered "To Tonks and Lupin."


End file.
